Gold mine jobs hinge on feasibility study

A gold miner will employ hundreds of people if it resumes production at a central Australian mine, west of Tennant Creek.

This week, Tanami Gold announced a 40 per cent increase in the estimated amount of gold at its Central Tanami mine.

The company is expecting to finish a feasibility study into whether to restart production by the middle of this year.

The mine was closed about seven years ago, after producing gold since the 1980s.

Managing director Graeme Sloan says depending on the results, production could start early next year.

"I think the end of this year is too soon, I'd love to think we could do it and I think sometime next year is more feasible and we'll be pushing as hard as we can to get started as soon as we can," he said.

Mr Sloan says hundreds of people would be employed, if production resumes.

"You won't have them all at the site at any one time but you'd be looking at a workforce somewhere between 150 and maybe 200 people," he said.